Office of Health Disparities Reduction Website

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

The goal of this FOA is to fund organizations to conduct, synthesize and translate research into practice for the prevention of teen pregnancy and promotion of adolescent health and in support of OAH’s priorities and mission. Funded organizations will evaluate or assess best practices or evidence-based/evidence-informed approaches and make that information easily accessible to providers working with youth to prevent teen pregnancy. OAH anticipates funding up to three cooperative agreements each with an annual budget of up to $500,000 for a three-year project period. To learn more, please visit the Open Grants page of the OAH website, orview the announcement on Grants.gov.

Support for Expectant and Parenting Teens, Women, Fathers, and Their Families

The goal of this FOA is to fund States and Tribes for the development and implementation of programs for expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families to improve health and related educational, social, and economic outcomes. Funded grants will provide an integrated and seamless network of supportive services in multiple primary settings: high schools, community service centers, and Institutions of Higher Education (IHE). OAH anticipates funding up to 20 grants with an annual budget of $500,000 - $1,500,000 for a three-year project period. To learn more, please visit the Open Grants page of the OAH website, or view the announcement on Grants.gov.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Ninety thousand forty-two. That’s the number of people in Utah who signed up for insurance under the ACA so far this year. In fact, it represents the biggest increase of people enrolling of any state in the country, according to the Utah Health Policy Project.

"We’re trying to figure out why so many Utahns are signing up this year when there’s so much turmoil and uncertainty this year," says Jason Stevenson.

Stevenson works with the Salt Lake City group that helps sign residents up for insurance.

The most likely reason, of course, is that some Utahns are trying to make sure they have insurance before the incoming Trump Administration and a Republican controlled Congress consider a possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Stevenson also has another theory about the increase. With Utah having the highest percentage of kids signed up for the ACA of any state in the country, he believes parents are trying to make sure their families are covered before open enrollment ends.

"They’re being proactive, they’re signing up early and they’re locking in their insurance for 2017," Stevenson says.

With a little over a month left before the final sign up date for a 2017 health plan, Stevenson expects the trend to continue. In the meantime, Governor Herbert and Utah Insurance Commissioner Todd Kiser have started working with Congress to lay out what they hope to keep from the health care law and what they plan to cut.

New HHS Office of Minority Health and CDC Collaboration to Improve Understanding of the Health Status of American Indians and Alaska Natives

A new Intra-Agency agreement between the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will enhance a behavioral risk factor surveillance survey (BRFSS) to provide an improved understanding of the health status of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. As part of the CDC’s 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the CDC will conduct an oversampling in 11 states that have a higher proportion of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN).

The oversampling of AI/AN communities will increase understanding of health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, access to care and use of preventive services in the AI/AN population. Because of small sample sizes among American Indians and Alaska Natives, this information has typically been omitted from reports citing national health statistics. Data from the BRFSS oversample of American Indians and Alaska Natives will help public health officials tailor health promotion activities in these communities to achieve health equity. The survey is expected to be launched in early 2017.

Today, the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) released an updated version of Youth Online - a user-friendly data access application that allows you to view and analyze Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from1991 – 2015. Youth Online now contains national, state, and local data on two aspects of sexual orientation - sexual identity and sex of sexual contacts. Youth Online can be found at www.cdc.gov/yrbs.

YRBS Background:

The YRBS monitors six categories of priority health behaviors among high school students—behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence; tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; sexual behaviors related to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection; unhealthy dietary behaviors; and physical inactivity—plus the prevalence of obesity and asthma.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Utah’s population crossed the 3.0 million mark as it became the nation’s fastest-growing state over the last year. Its population increased 2.0 percent to 3.1 million from July 1, 2015, to July 1, 2016, according to U.S. Census Bureau national and state population estimates released today.

“States in the South and West continued to lead in population growth,” said Ben Bolender, Chief of the Population Estimates Branch. “In 2016, 37.9 percent of the nation’s population lived in the South and 23.7 percent lived in the West.”

North Dakota, which had been the fastest-growing state for the previous four years, mostly from people moving into the state, fell out of the top ten in growth due to a net outflow of migrants to other parts of the country. Its growth slowed from 2.3 percent in the previous year to 0.1 percent.

Nationally, the U.S. population grew by 0.7 percent to 323.1 million. Furthermore, the population of voting-age residents, adults age 18 and over, grew to 249.5 million, making up 77.2 percent of the population in 2016, an increase of 0.9 percent from 2015 (247.3 million).

Eight states lost population between July 1, 2015, and July 1, 2016, including Pennsylvania, New York and Wyoming, all three of which had grown the previous year. Illinois lost more people than any other state (-37,508).

Two states that had been losing population in the previous year, Maine and New Mexico, saw increases in population of 0.15 and 0.03 percent respectively.

In addition to the population data for the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the new estimates show that Puerto Rico had an estimated population of 3.4 million, a decline from 3.5 million in 2015. Estimates of the components of population change (births, deaths, and migration) were also released today.

We are pleased to announce the theme for National Minority Health Month 2017:Bridging Health Equity Across Communities!

During National Minority Health Month, beginning April 1, 2017, the HHS Office of Minority Health will join with our partners in raising awareness about efforts across health, education, justice, housing, transportation and employment sectors to address the factors known as the social determinants of health – environmental, social and economic conditions that impact health. The HHS Office of Minority Health will continue to bridge efforts across the nation to help eliminate health disparities, accelerate health equity and build a stronger, healthier nation.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Are you interested in learning more about workforce pipeline development programs for youth?

One priority of the New England Regional Health Equity Council (NERHEC) is to engage youth and emerging leaders in region-wide efforts to promote health equity. NERHEC is hosting a webinar for The Social & Health Services and Healthcare Administration at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island to present its Community Development Program. The program provides a lens by which graduates can apply coursework and academic experiences to a variety of fields for employment (and/or for continuing their studies) in non-profit organizations, public health, finance and banking, law and law enforcement, real estate and housing development, city and state government, policy research, environmental justice, and education. Upon completion of this webinar, the participants will be able to accomplish the following from the specific organizational perspective:

1. Understand workforce development for youth rooted in educational opportunities and career exploration/exposure, both of which result in healthy outcomes; 2. Communicate the role of youth workforce development in graduation and retention rates for kids of color in high school. 3. Identify motivational factors of workforce development for youth of color;4. Seek funding for youth workforce development; and 5. Collaborate across sectors for youth workforce development.

DATE:January 23, 2017

TIME:1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

SPEAKERS:

Moderators:

Linda Hudson, ScD, MSPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine

Presenter:

Dr. Taino Palumbo, EdD, Program Director of Community Development, Roger Williams University

Roger Williams University’s Community Development (CD) Program provides current and prospective community development practitioners with a foundation based on theory, skill development, and practice to address the challenges of today’s urban and rural neighborhoods and communities. Students learn and understand community development as the intersection of public health, public safety, education, government, economic development, environment, transportation and housing—and how they all work in concert—through course work, field work, and intern/externships.

The New England RHEC is one of 10 regional health equity councils formed in 2011 as a part of the National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities (NPA). The NPA is a national movement with the mission to improve the effectiveness of programs that target the elimination of health disparities through coordination of leaders, partners, and stakeholders committed to action. NERHEC is a coalition of leaders and health disparities experts representing several sectors and the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. NERHEC envisions the achievement of health equity through cross-sector integration of actions and resources to optimize health for all where they live, learn, work, and play. Visit NERHEC’s website for more information: http://region1.npa-rhec.org/

1 If the registration link does not work, please copy the entire link and paste it into your web browser. For webinar-specific questions, contact the moderator at csantos@explorepsa.com.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Utah’s Department of Workforce Services (DWS) is excited about being able to offer a 4 hour Trauma Awareness Seminar to all state agency staff and community partners. These training sessions are on January 4th. There will be other options, with training in Provo on January 5th and in Lehi on January 17th. I'll send those registration links to you as they become available.

The seminar is a basic introduction to the area of trauma. It is designed for anyone who encounters individuals and families who may have experienced trauma, whether in the front lobby of an agency, while delivering home services or even passing people on the street.

The seminar is free but registration is required. There are two identical sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. To register for the session of your choice simply click on the link below.

The seminars will start promptly at 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The seminar runs the entire 4 hours; thus, it is very important to arrive a few minutes before the start times. If you have any questions you can call Mary Beth Vogel-Ferguson – 801-581-3071.

Because of the extraordinary volume of consumers contacting our call center or visiting HealthCare.gov, we are extending the deadline to sign-up for January 1 coverage until 11:59pm PSTDecember 19. Hundreds of thousands have already selected plans over the last few days and nearly a million consumers have left their contact information to hold their place in line at the call center so far. Our goal is to provide affordable coverage to everyone seeking it before the deadline, and these additional days will give consumers an opportunity to come back and complete their enrollment for January 1 coverage.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

To protect against the flu, the first and most important thing you can do is to get a flu vaccine for yourself and your child. There is a guide that is available and attached to this email to provide to parents with.

* Vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months and older.

* It’s especially important that young children and children with long term health conditions get vaccinated. (See list of conditions in “How serious is the flu?”)

* Caregivers of children with health conditions or of children younger than 6 months old should get vaccinated. (Babies younger than 6 months are too young to be vaccinated themselves.)

* Another way to protect babies is to vaccinate pregnant women. Research shows that flu vaccination gives some protection to the baby both while the woman is pregnant and for up to 6 months after the baby is born.

Description:The Administration for Children and Families, Administration for Native Americans announces the availability of funds for community-based projects for the Native Language Preservation and Maintenance program. The Native Language Preservation and Maintenance program provides funding for projects to support assessments of the status of the native languages in an established community, as well as the planning, designing, restoration, and implementing of native language curriculum and education projects to support a community's language preservation goals. Native American communities include American Indian tribes (federally-recognized and non-federally recognized), Native Hawaiians, Alaskan Natives, and Native American Pacific Islanders.Eligible Applicants:
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)Additional Information on Eligibility:
Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 2991b and 45 CFR 1336.33, eligible applicants under this announcement are: Federally recognized Indian tribes, as recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs; Incorporated non-federally recognized tribes; Incorporated state-recognized Indian tribes; Consortia of Indian tribes; Incorporated non-profit multi-purpose community-based Indian organizations; Urban Indian Centers; Alaska Native villages as defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) and/or nonprofit village consortia; Non-profit native organizations in Alaska with village specific projects; Incorporated non-profit Alaska Native multi purpose, community-based organizations; Non-profit Alaska Native Regional Corporations/Associations in Alaska with village-specific projects; Non-profit Alaska Native community entities or tribal governing bodies (Indian Reorganization Act or Traditional Councils) as recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs; Public and non-profit private agencies serving Native Hawaiians; National or regional incorporated non-profit Native American organizations with Native American community-specific objectives; Public and non-profit private agencies serving native peoples from Guam, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; Tribal Colleges and Universities, and colleges and universities located in Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands that serve Native American Pacific Islanders. Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement. Faith-based organizations are encouraged to review the ACF Policy on Grants to Faith-Based Organizations at: http: //www.acf.hhs.gov/acf-policy-on-grants-to-faith-based-organizations. Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

In 2015, one in nine Americans aged 45 and older, experienced subjective cognitive decline (SCD) – that is, they reported experiencing increased confusion or worsening memory loss over the previous 12 months. And, those cognitive problems had a negative impact on everyday life – 40.5 percent had to give up household activities and chores due to their SCD, and 36.5 percent said that SCD interfered with their ability to work, volunteer, or engage in social activities. These data come from a new analysis – conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Healthy Aging Program – of the Cognitive Module from the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).Public Health Road Map Action Item M-02A growing body of evidence shows that SCD is one the earliest warning signs of future cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s disease. Individual fact sheets are now available for the 35 states and territories that used the Cognitive Module in their 2015 BRFSS surveys. With these new data, states can see the scope and burden of SCD as well as whether those individuals are talking to a health care provider about their memory problems.We encourage you to download your state’s fact sheet not only for your own use, but to distribute to health officials, public health practitioners, and state policymakers. Tweet the fact sheet, link to it on your website, blog about it. Data are only useful when used to inform policy and systems change, and that can only happen if the data are widely distributed.

Local health data has typically been reported at the county-level, until now. With the 500 Cities Project, cities will be able to dig down to the census-tract level for the prevalence of costly, preventable chronic diseases like obesity and unhealthy behaviors—along with data on prevention practices.

This report confirms that there is no acceptable level of nicotine when it comes to our kids. It notes that e-cigarettes are often a delivery system for nicotine, a highly addictive substance that can harm the developing brain. The report also confirms that the aerosol from e-cigarettes is not harmless. It can contain chemicals and particulates that are dangerous to the person using these products (“vaping”) and to anyone who may inhale that aerosol second-hand.

The Surgeon General’s report is available at E-cigarettes.SurgeonGeneral.gov. There you will also find tools for parents and a brand new Public Service Announcement from Dr. Murthy. Please help us promote this important publication by sharing it with your networks. We would also appreciate your help getting the word out on social media. Be sure to use the hashtag #NoEcigs4Kids in your posts.

Like previous reports of the Surgeon General, this one discusses the marketing techniques to glamorize e-cigarettes. The Surgeon General calls on the industry to stop advertising practices which encourage young people to try these products. Our children are not an experiment, and we know enough about the risks of e-cigarettes to take action to protect them.

The Administration for Native Americans (ANA), within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), announces the availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 funds for the Native Youth I-LEAD. This program will emphasize a comprehensive, culturally-appropriate approach to ensure that all young Native people can thrive and reach their full potential by fostering Native youth resilience, capacity building, and leadership. Native Youth I-LEAD will specifically focus on implementation of community programs that promote Native youth resiliency and foster protective factors such as connections with Native languages and Elders, positive peer groups, culturally-responsive parenting resources, models of safe sanctuary, and reconnection with traditional healing. Projects will also promote Native youth leadership development through the establishment of local models to instill confidence in Native youth of their value and potential, preparation of older youth to be role models for younger peers, and activities that foster leadership and skills-building. In addition, it is intended that Native youth must be actively involved during the planning and implementation phases of the projects to ensure that they are responsive to the needs of Native youth in the communities to be served and to ensure that youth remain engaged throughout the project period.

Monday, December 5, 2016

Purpose: The purpose of the Network Planning program is to assist in the development of an integrated health care network, specifically for entities that do not have a history of formal collaborative efforts, in order to: (i) achieve efficiencies; (ii) expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of essential health care services; and (iii) strengthen the rural health care system as a whole..

Project Period: June 1, 2017 – May 31, 2018

Application Due Date: January 3, 2017

Eligibility: The applicant organization must be a rural nonprofit or rural public entity that represents a consortium/network of three or more health care providers. Federally-recognized tribal entities are eligible to apply as long as they are located in a rural area. The applicant organization must be located in a non-metropolitan county or in a rural census tract of a metropolitan county, and all services must be provided in a non-metropolitan county or rural census tract.

Network Composition: The networks must be composed of at least three separately owned health care providers that may be nonprofit or for-profit entities. The applicant organization along with each network member who will be receiving any of the grant funds must have separate and differentEmployer Identification Numbers (EIN). Networks may include a wide range of community partners providing health care including social service agencies, faith-based organizations, mental health agencies, charitable organizations, educational institutions, employers, local government agencies or other entities with an interest in a community’s health care system.

Focus Areas: applicants must clearly identify one of the following focus areas (specifying the sub-category) that your network planning activities will address: